Chapter-7🌜 Ugly Promises.
William's POV
What the hell am I getting myself into?
How many enemies are waiting for me?
How many will I be able to take?
And what about this man-who will be my husband, in front of the whole world now? How will I be able to take him down?
Get my revenge, and get Romie justice? How?!
I don't know how-But I will. I have to.
And the first step would be this marriage.
This marriage which was meant for the profit of everyone but mine, I would use it.
Because I just lost my everything-My Romie because of this marriage.
So now I will use it.
I don't even realise I am overthinking, until he says, "Don't worry William, I won't let anyone harm you. Ever." He says, his voice is completely serious, lacking any sign of deceit.
I almost-almost believe him. Until I remember, he is the biggest danger.
Why would he protect me? When he himself wants to harm me?
Previously, I thought they wanted to harm just Romie, but if that was true-this marriage won't be happening.
Belladonnas wouldn't have killed my girlfriend, if it was just a business contract.
Then, Belladonnas wanting me to marry their heir, somehow it's making me feel like-it's related to me.
Her death was related to me.
Romie was killed because of me...
The guilt that settles inside my heart makes me feel bitter.
I caused her death.
It's either their own family or just him. So no-I don't think his concern or promise to protect me is genuine.
And even if it was, who would protect me from him?
In fact it has to be the biggest lie in the entire history.
"William, don't overthink it. I know this marriage is not true and you told me that we would always be strangers-but as I said I wouldn't let anyone harm you. So you don't need to worry about that. It's my promise."
Zane's voice is comforting but completely serious.
"And I don't break my promises William." He continues.
Somehow out of all of his words, I can't say I don't believe this one, but I know I shouldn't. So I don't.
"Even if this marriage is just on paper, but if it puts your life in danger because of my world. I will protect you from it. They would harm you because of me. So it's my duty to keep you safe and will." How is he just so good with words?
Oh yeah-he is a liar, he must have planned this before.
But I can't say anything else, so I just nod.
And at that moment only, his phone rings, and he reaches inside his jet black suit pants' pocket and pulls it out with his left hand. He attends the call and talks in a foreign language-which I realise would be Italian.
So I don't get it, but then I see-that.
That ring.
That ring with a blue coloured gemstone, which now I can see looks like a sapphire.
The gemstone has a rectangular cut, and I could tell from just its appearance, it's expensive.
And this is the one, this is definitely the type of ring that the killer wore!
At the time, I wasn't sure if it was green or blue-looks like it was blue.
Because I can recognise that ring anywhere. On that day, the ring's colour wasn't very visible, due to lack of light-as it was the time of sunset.
The refraction and my blessing of an eyesight, confused me. But now.... It's clear.
All the flashbacks of that...that day of her death start running in my mind.
And I feel my hands going numb like they did-when they announced-
"...Sorry sir, she has already passed away..." that doctor's sympathetic voice echoes in my mind on repeat.
The echoing voice fades to the echo of an ear-piercing BOOM...
The flashbacks of the horrible moment when I turned back and I saw the blood-covered Romie lying on the road.
That masked man going back to his car-That ring...he-he had that ring!
The cut was clearly visible and so were the little diamonds bordering around it...they were literally twinkling when the assassin was going inside the car.
And this ring-on his hand, is just like that. It's him. It has to be him. And now I have proof.
And what gives me much more clarity was the head of the snake tattoo on his hand-just the head of it is visible as the rest of it is covered from his jacket.
But it's the same tattoo that Vance has.
That the killer did.
Now it's completely clear, no doubts remaining in my head.
The ring. The tattoo. The timing.
Everything aligns too perfectly to be a coincidence.
Just the tiny amount of uncertainty that was peeking behind my brain-because of his words-is gone.
I don't know why I am shocked, because I already kinda knew that-but I am.
My heart is beating so fast, and all of my blood is turning cold. I am feeling like I can't breathe.
Romie is gone...
And her killer is standing right in front of me.
The man whose face is glowing in the golden lights of our garden.
This was the face behind that mask.
And see what I am doing....
I am gonna marry her assassin.
I will put my ring, just beside the ring which bit me like a serpent-and left me with no cure.
I would be the serpent's groom...
????
Zane's POV
I cut the call with Leo, after telling him what to do with the dealer, who delayed our shipment for three days.
Three days. He must think time is negotiable. It isn't.
Time is money.
Money is everything.
That fucker thinks he can delay Belladonnas and live.
Must be a death wish.
But when I look back at William-he looks like he has seen a ghost.
Mortified.
Shocked.
Did he hear what I was talking about? Even if he did, he wouldn't have been able to understand it, I wasn't talking in English.
Now, unless he knows Italian, which I doubt he does.
So what else can it be? I don't know...
"Are you okay?" I ask him, a little gently. Maybe it's the anxiety about marriage...
That brings him back to reality, his shell-shocked expression fades to a stone-like poker face-no sign of that initial vulnerability.
I raise my hand to comfort him and it almost touches his shoulder, before I feel him stare-glaring holes in my hand.
And I just nod, and put my hand down. "We would never do something you are uncomfortable with, William." I say sincerely. And I mean it wholeheartedly.
I am not like those weirdos which force others just because they want to.
"Your comfort would be my responsibility." Because when he's in my house... there won't be anyone else looking out for him.
He would be a total stranger in that house.
"Just a word, and we won't do anything which is causing you discomfort. So don't worry, even when you will be at our house, I will make sure of your comfort." I promise him, and I mean it.
William just stares at my eyes, his own are also showing so many emotions at the same time, that I am not sure what to call it. But then he looks down-just for a while.
Composing himself and says, "We should go inside." His tone is neutral now.
Making me doubt, was I hallucinating? Was that earlier look in his eyes just in my head? I don't know...
He is back to his normal self, as if he wasn't shivering, as if he didn't look gray just a moment ago...
So I just nod. And he turns his back on me and makes his way inside.
And I just stare at his back as he moves forward. I don't know what to feel about this.
I take a deep breath and follow him back inside, just a moment later. When I reach back in the living room, he's standing in the corner awkwardly.
But I don't join him because he clearly wouldn't like it, and make my way back to my previous seat.
My mom looks at me, as if wordlessly asking 'how will it go?' and I just shrug. Because I am myself unaware of how it went. My mom just shakes her head, not with anger or even disappointment. At least, not on me and William.
"William...Zane" My mom addresses us both. "We were just discussing the date of marriage." She says.
And that changes William's awkward posture and makes him rigid.
His shoulders become tense.
Me? Well, I am not that tense, I mean we came here for this only right?
Was he not aware of it?
He has to be...right?
And my dad finally speaks, for the first time in the night, "The wedding ceremony will be held on the 27th of December." He says matter of factly.
Seeing the impatient man he is, I won't be surprised if he would have chosen a date before that-but I know he can't, he is a catholic christian. A marriage around Christmas is out of the question...
I look at William and see him already glaring at me. As if I planned the date. Caused all the misery in his world-all of this.
Five days...I have just five days before I will be the husband of the guy who hates me.
A straight guy would be my groom on 27th December.
Five days to marry a man who looks at me like I destroyed his world.
Just five days...